Nightmares and Flashbacks
by Be My Master
Summary: Random little fic about the first night Ponyboy had nightmares. Ends at kind of a cliff hanger, but if you want me to continue, just put it in a review. The second chapter is up! It's the same thing from Darry's PoV! I might expand on it!
1. Soda

*PoV Sodapop*

I was lying in my bed, feeling the warm blankets wrapped tightly around me. I usually loved that feeling, almost as much as I loved the feeling of hugging Ponyboy, his thin arms wrapped tightly around my waist and his head resting sweetly just below my collar bone, but earlier that day we had gone to our parents' funeral. So, anyway, I was trying to fall asleep, but I felt like there was something tugging on my mind. With a sigh, I turned over and looked at my wall. I could hear Darry crying in his room, trying to be silent.

I got up and walked over to his room, knocked on the door and waited patiently. Darry sniffed and opened the door.

"Hey," I said.

"What?" he asked shortly, rubbing at his puffy, red eyes.

"Can I Come in?" I asked, putting a hand on the door frame.

"Fine," he mumbled, "just don't tell Pony that I's cryin'."

I nodded and walked in, then sat at the foot of his bed. Darry's room is a room I don't go in much because he's so uppity and self-conscious. He sat down on his bed again, his eyes still brimming with tears. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You wanna talk?" I asked.

He shook his head, then nodded, as if he wasn't sure what he should do. "How could they leave us?" he asked quietly. "We don't have no more family. Not any that would take us in, at least. And the people down at the state want me to provide for this family, but I ain't old enough! I'm only nineteen!"

"You gonna be twenty in a month," I said, looking at my brother seriously. "You can do it, Darry. I believe in you."

"Even if I was different? Even if I was so different that if I told you, you'd hate me?"

"Darry, I couldn't ever hate you! What's so bad about you?"

"I… I'm-"

But I never got to hear what was so bad about him. A sudden scream cut him off. A loud, piercing scream rang out through the silent house.

"What the hell…?" Darry mumbled.

"Probably someone outside," I said, my heart pounding at the sudden sound.

There was a knock on the door. I got up and opened it, revealing a very startled looking Johnny. I had forgotten he was asleep in the living room.

"Hey, Johnny, How y-?"

He cut me off. "Ponyboy's screaming in his sleep and I don't know how to help and he won't wake up and-"

Darry and I ran out of Darry's room straight into Pony's. He was thrashing, his blankets tangled around his legs. He screamed again, and I felt my blood run cold. I had only ever heard Pony boy scream like that once before, and it was an experience I didn't want to repeat. But my mind went back to it anyway.

_ I walked into the grocery store and walked to the back where they kept the cigarettes. I picked up a bottle of pop and hid it beneath my shirt, smiling at the nice looking lady who had just come around the corner. She had a pretty yellow dress on and looked a few years older than I was. Probably around sixteen. She looked at me, the pack of Kools in my hand and the obviously hidden Pepsi in my shirt._

_ "What's a cute little thing like you doin' stealing a pack and a pop?" she asked. I could tell by her voice that she wasn't a greasy girl, but she wasn't a socy girl either._

_ "I don't got enough money for both," I said, my nine year old voice sweet and soft. _

_ "I'd take the pop," She said, resting her elbows on the cart handle._

_ "Pop ain't for me, it for my brother. He's too young to be out on his own. And the Kools are for my friend and me, but he don't have enough money for a pack."_

_ "…Tell you what," she said, rummaging through her purse. "Have this." She held out two dollars. _

_ "Oh, no, miss, I couldn't!"_

_ "Take it, I got enough to buy what I need."_

_ I took the money and said my thanks, then moved on. I took the pop out from under my shirt. I looked back at her, thinking that she probably thought I was just a soft greasy kind. So, I did something that I probably shouldn't have. I put my hands on the shelf in front of me, and pushed it over. _

_ I heard a blood curtailing scream from the row over. I rushed over, fearing that I knew that person. _

_ And I did._

_ An arm was stuck up in the air, and a small voice was calling for help. I ran over and screamed, taking in the dark red hair, pale skin and gray green eyes. My brother._

_ "Pony!" I said, kneeling down and trying to lift up the shelf. I was a lot heavier than I thought._

_ "Help!" I screamed. "Help!"_

_ Several people rushed over to us and heaved the shelf off my brother. I sobbed into his hair and clung to him tightly. He cried out in pain and I dragged him away from the shelf, for it was beginning to fall again. He sobbed as he clutched me, his thin arms wrapping around my waist._

_ "S-soda…" he sobbed._

_ "Soda…"_

_ Soda…_

Soda…

"Soda!"

I snapped out of my revere and looked over at Darry, kneeling next to a still struggling Pony.

I looked down at the familiar shock of brown red hair and pale skin. He needed to go outside more. I put my hands out of his shoulders and shook him. He woke up with a gasp and his eyes moved frantically around the room. His eyes fell on Johnny, who stood pale faced and shaking at the foot of the bed.

"Are you alright?" Darry asked.

"N-no…" Pony said, shaking from head to foot.

"You were having a nightmare," I said softly.

"What was it about?" Darry asked.

"I don't remember."


	2. Darry

*PoV Darry*

I was sobbing quietly, sat on my bed, trying to read my book. How could they leave us like that? How could the leave me with the responsibility of raising two kids? I looked over at the picture of our family on my bed side table. My mum was standing with her hands on Pony's shoulders, smiling in that sweet motherly way. Stood next to her was dad, or maybe it was me…? No, it was my dad. He was grinning happily into the camera, an arm around mum's shoulders. Pony was smiling shyly at the camera, his green gray eyes shining slightly and his red-ish brown hair blowing in the slight breeze. Soda was stood on the other side of mum; his blond hair slicked back, a goofy grin on his face. I was stood next to dad, the same happy smile on my face. It was been taken a few weeks ago, before the accident.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to quit sobbing. I knew that if I sobbed anymore I would wake Soda up. He was so upset with what had happened, he had broken down in the middle of the service. Pony had stood, as hard and rigid as a stone, with tears making tracks down his cheeks. I had just stood there, hands stuffed in my pockets.

There was a knock at y door and I knew I had woken Soda. "Hey," he said.

"What?" I asked shortly, rubbing my eyes, which I knew were red and puffy.

He put a hand on the door frame. "Can I come in?"

"Fine," I mumbled. "Just don't tell Pony I's cryin'."

He nodded and walked in, sitting down on my bed. I normally don't let people in my room, since I like it clean but the boys like to go through my stuff. I sat down on my bed too, and I felt more tears threaten to fall. Soda placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You wanna talk?" he asked, looking worried.

I didn't want to worry him, so I shook my head. But I really wanted to talk, so I nodded. "How could they leave us?" I asked quietly. "We don't have no more family. Not any that would take us in, at least. And the people down at the state want me to provide for this family, but I ain't old enough! I'm only nineteen!"

"You gonna be twenty in a month," Soda said, looking at me seriously. "You can do it, Darry. I believe in you."

"Even if I was different? Even if I was so different that if I told you, you'd hate me?"

"Darry, I couldn't ever hate you! What's so bad about you?"

My stomach turned. Now or never, I thought. "I… I'm-"

But I didn't get to tell him. A sudden scream cut me off. A loud, piercing scream rang out through the silent house.

"What the hell…?" I mumbled.

"Probably someone outside," Soda said. Looking like his heart had just done a loopy-loop.

There was a knock on the door. Soda got up and opened it, revealing a very startled looking Johnny. I had forgotten he was asleep in the living room, and it seemed as though Soda had, too.

"Hey, Johnny, How y-?"

He cut Soda off. "Ponyboy's screaming in his sleep and I don't know how to help and he won't wake up and-"

Soda and I ran out of my room straight into Pony's. He was thrashing, his blankets tangled around his legs. He screamed again, and I felt my blood run cold. I had only ever heard Ponyboy scream like that once before, and it was an experience I didn't want to repeat. But my mind went back to it anyway.

_I was supposed to be looking after Pony, but Melissa, my girlfriend, had been over. She was tall, sixteen and blond. Two-Bit had been proud of me for that, but other than that, he didn't like her. Either had any of the other guys. I was fifteen, so Pony was nine. I wasn't paying attention to Ponyboy, I was making out with my girlfriend._

_ She had the softest lips I had ever felt, but something was missing from it. Her hands moved up my chest, under my shirt, and I could tell she was getting all hot and bothered, but it just wasn't cutting it for me. Fearing that I was queer, like some boys at my school, I played along. I moved my hands to her chest. She gasped and smiled, pushing herself closer to me. For the first time ever, I had my hands on a girl's tit. I was shocked that it didn't really mean anything to me. But, again, I played along. I didn't here Pony open my door._

_ "EEEEWWW!" Pony shrieked._

_ "GET OUT!" I yelled at him. He ran for the hills._

_ I went back to Melissa, and she back to me. She didn't really like Ponyboy. Her phone vibrated against my groin, and I pulled away. She took it out and spoke into it._

_ "I have to go, hun," she said._

_ "Okay." I looked deeply into her eyes, hoping that it look romantic. Apparently it did, because she went all red before she left._

_ I could hear her walking out through the house and into her car._

_ "Get out of the way you stupid kid!" I heard her say._

_ Then I heard a scream. It turned my blood cold and had me running out of the house. Pony was lying, crumpled, in the street, and Melissa was glaring at him, but smiling, with her engine running._

_ "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?" I yelled. "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO? DID YOU JUST HIT MY BROTHER WITH YOUR CAR?"_

_ "He was in the way!" she shouted._

_ "YOU BITCH! GET OUT Of HERE! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"_

_ So, after I had picked up Ponyboy from the middle of the street, she drove off and I never saw her again. I took Pony to the hospital, where the doctors looked over him. He was just bruised, there was nothing broken. I was so happy that I could have cried. I hold him close to my chest as he sobbed in fright._

_ "Darry…"_

_ Darry…_

Darry…

"Darry!"

I looked over at Johnny, who was staring at me and Soda, who was also just standing there. I dashed over to Soda, and started to shake him.

"Soda!" I yelled. "Soda!"

He seemed startled out of a memory, just as I had been. He also dashed over and started to shake Pony. He woke up with a start and a gasp, his eyes landing on Johnny.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"N-no…" Ponyboy replied.

"You were having a nightmare," Soda said, stroking Pony's hair out of his eyes.

"What was it about?" I asked.

"I don't remember."


End file.
